Portishead's Geoff Barrow To Release Second Beak> Album

Geoff Barrow helmed Beak>’s 2009 self titled debut was a brilliantly bleak fusion of krautrockian minimalism heavy metal jams and distinctly gothic stylings. Barrow’s label Invada will release the band’s follow up “>>” on June 2 digitally and July 12 physically, before he joins Portishead on a tour of Italy, Spain and France this summer. This continues a busy 2012 for Barrow, having already released an album with his indie rap project Drokk, and his recent announcement that Portishead will release a fourth album (though exactly when is still uncertain). To top all this off Barrow’s record label Invada will release the soundtrack to last year’s indie hit “Drive” on vinyl on May 21. [P4K]